What Do We Do Now?
by percyjacksonfan135
Summary: When Zachary Grace runs away from home, strange things begin to happen to him. But what happens when he arrives at Camp Half Blood and meets a girl whith sea green eyes and survives an attack meant to kill him? Male Thalia and Camp Jupitor doesn't exist.
1. Run Away

Note: this story was inspired by an author called Delta General 42, and the story is called child of the sea and the hunt. If you haven't read it, please do; it is really good. Anyway, disclaimer: I do not own anything that belongs to Rick Riordan. Note 2: this particular author has given me permission to use some concepts that she has thought of.

What Do We Do Now?

Chapter 1:

The Runaway

Zachary Samuel grace was definitely not your average 12-year-old. For example, he felt much older than he really was because he had spent most of his childhood trying to care for his younger brother Jason because their mother was too drunk and lazy to do it herself. But when his mother decided to take him and Jason on a little picnic, Zachary should have known that his mother wanting to do something like this was always bad news. But being that he had been only seven at the time, Zachary didn't quite understand what was really going on until his mother had asked him to go back to the car and get the picnic basket. Zack wanted to obey, but his gut instinct was telling him that his little brother was in danger, but when he tried to take Jason with him, his mother snapped, "go alone!" So, reluctantly, Zack did as his mother had asked of him. But when he got back, he noticed that his little brother had gone and his mother told him quite bluntly that he had died and it was his entire fault. But now that he was 12, and had been on the run for a little more than five years, Zachary did not let his mother's words affect him. However, because of his mother, he refused to use his last name and just went by his first name instead.

The people he had met along the way learned that the hard way. One of the friends he met, Luke castellan, made the mistake of calling Zack by his last name once and he found himself at the end of one very deadly and pointy spear along with a very angry Zachary. "Do not call me by my last name ever again!" He growled. "I do not wish to be reminded of the family who failed me, thank you very much."

After a while, the preteen was snapped out of his thoughts when the seven-year-old Annabeth nestled close to him. She was still a little shaken up from the encounter with the Cyclopes, but other than that, she was all right. But just to make sure, the 12-year-old gently ran his fingers through her honey blond hair to let her know that she was safe and that no one was going to hurt her. The seven-year-old must've realized this, because she somehow found her head in the older demigod's lap and fell asleep. As for the older demigod however, he stayed awake; keeping watch for intruders.

I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but it is more of a prologue than anything, and I wasn't sure what I am going to do next. Also, there will be no Romans in this particular story because it is too complicated for me to figure out which is which, so I hope that it's okay with everyone. Please let me know if you have any questions.


	2. Run Away Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that belongs to Rick Riordan.

Chapter 2:

Runaway Part Two

It was very late at night, and yet Zack was still wide awake with a small daughter of Athena lying curled up in his lap. He wanted to go and get some sleep, but for some reason, he couldn't. Something kept nagging at the back of his mind even though he wasn't sure what it was. He also knew and understood how upset Luke had been after stopping briefly at his mom's house to grab medicine and food. Zack did not blame the son of Hermes for being angry, but he had hoped that his anger would not get the better of him. To Zack, Luke was like an older brother and Annabeth a younger sister whom he felt responsible for, especially after seeing what had happened to Luke's mom while the three demigods were at the house.

As the son of Zeus sat there, cradling Annabeth's blond head in his lap, he got lost in that very memory. It was shortly after the two boys had found Annabeth wielding a hammer. When they had found her, both Luke and Zack's jaws dropped open in shock when they saw the claw and teeth marks all over her. Annabeth was also terrified, hungry, and cold. She had run away from her father and stepmother and being that it was the middle of the night, Annabeth was wearing nothing but her pajamas, so it was no wonder that she was cold. "No more... no more monsters!" She practically screamed in terror when she saw the older boys. "No more monsters! No more monsters! Please..."

And when she tried to raise her hammer, Zack reached out and gently restrained her. Then, being as gentle as he could, Zack pried the hammer out of the seven-year-old's fingers as he crouched down beside her. Hey, little one," he said gently, "we aren't going to hurt you. It's okay. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night like this anyway, kiddo? What's your name?"

"Annabeth," the little girl replied timidly. "My family didn't want me, so I ran away. You aren't... you aren't monsters?"

The older demigod smiled reassuringly at the little girl and answered gently, "no, but we fight them; just like you. Come on; Luke and I have a safe house somewhere on the James River; we can give you some food." And then he smiled and added more gently, "by the way, I apologize if I frightened you earlier with my shield."

But when the three of them arrived at Luke's house, things began to change for the worse. Hermes himself told his own son he shouldn't have come home, but he knew he didn't really have a choice at the present time. Little Annabeth was hurt and the two older demigods didn't have anything with them at the present time, so they did not have a choice in the matter. After seeing his mom acting the way she was, Luke had not been the same, and it worried Zack greatly, especially since he and Luke both were now responsible for protecting Annabeth from the dangers they faced. They had to get to camp, but Zack wasn't sure how they were going to get there without some serious help and intervention.

And today, falling into the cyclops lair was the most frightening thing to ever happen to either of them. Poor Annabeth was sobbing by the time they had gotten out of it and it was this fact alone that made the son of Zeus worry for his older friend. Even though Grover was with them now, Zack was still unsure of what was going to happen now, and that scared him. And because there were three of them plus Grover, that made the journey all the more difficult, and twice, both Luke and Zack had to pickup Annabeth and carry her on their backs when she got too tired to walk any further. Furthermore, the older demigods had to fight off many monsters such as hell hounds and harpies while keeping the little girl protected as much as possible. But little did Zack realize until it was almost too late, that the reason everyone was having so much trouble was the fact that Luke had become reckless and moody ever since that visit to his mom's house. Being only seven years old, Annabeth was far too young to understand just how much danger the older demigod was putting them in by acting so reckless. She knew of course that he was upset, but she did not fully understand what that truly meant for everyone. Zack had tried his best to explain it to her, but the entire situation was much too complicated and the poor child was frightened enough without having to deal with the fighting just yet. It was for this and many reasons that Zack desperately wished for someone, anyone to help them. Little did he know that someone happened to be listening, and it was when the 12-year-old demigod finally fell asleep that his wish or plea had been answered somehow?

The son of Zeus was in the exact same spot he was when he had fallen asleep, but he somehow found himself staring into the eyes of a teenage girl. She looked like she was about 14, and very similar features, except for the fact that her eyes were green instead of electric blue. The girl's name was Lee Anna and she was wearing a bracelet in the shape of a Trident. "I have been waiting for you, Cousin," Lee Anna said smoothly. "What can I do to help you?"

Zack was shocked. "You can hear me?" He asked incredulously. "But this is a dream?"

Lee Anna laughed. "Yes, it is a dream," she answered. "But this particular dream is different. You and I are having what is called a demigod dream. Sometimes demigod dreams are used as communication devices between someone; usually your godly parent. But sometimes they can serve as communication devices between demigods as well."

The 12-year-old demigod looked understandably confused. "Forgive me, but I don't really understand what you are talking about, but I will trust you," he told the older demigod. "I have two other demigods with me, plus the satyr named Grover Underwood. If you could send some help, I would truly appreciate it."

"Where are you right now?" The oldest child of Poseidon asked with slight concern. "If you are close to camp, I will come and get you myself," she added.

"Luke, Annabeth, and I are about 20 minutes away," Zack replied. "We have just stopped to rest and we were planning on moving on in the morning. Please be waiting for us. I cannot tell you the exact location, because we've had too many monsters already, but I can tell you that we are near the Hudson River; close to New York City."

The oldest daughter of Poseidon smiled wearily and answered, "okay; I'll see what I can do. I'll see you soon." And soon after that, Zack had awakened once more to the sounds of the seven-year-old crying from the nightmares she was bound to have after the encounter with the Cyclopes. And so, without thinking about it, the 12-year-old gently lifted her up and hugged her. "It's okay, Bethy; it's okay, no one is going to hurt you. I won't let them. It's just a nightmare, kiddo. Calm down." After that, Zack resumed running his fingers through the seven-year-old's hair; trying to keep her calm. It wasn't easy though, especially since he was extremely tired himself. But, since Luke slept like a rock anyway, Zack figured that the least he could do was to try and take care of his surrogate little sister as long as he could without losing it. And for a child of Zeus, that was a tremendous feat. He was not the most patient person because of who he was, but Zack knew somehow that he had to try and be patient, especially now as there was a much younger child to take care of as well as keeping himself and Luke alive. He felt better though, knowing that help was on its way. However, he did not count on the attack that would follow.

Please review and tell me how I am doing. This is my first time writing a story where the daughter of Zeus is a guy, so please be patient with me and ask any questions you may or may not have.


	3. Camp and a Strange Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Chapter 3:

Camp and a Strange Encounter

At Camp Half Blood, the teenage daughter of Poseidon was worried and confused. She had known for a while from Chiron that not only did she have a younger half brother; she also had a cousin who was on the run with a couple other half bloods. This scared her for a number of reasons. But the reason that scared her the most was that the great prophecy that the Oracle had spoken of would soon be coming true; and although she was not a part of it, Liana knew that she and whoever her cousin was were going to play a big part very soon. How soon? The daughter of Poseidon did not know. However, she knew it wasn't going to do her any good to worry, so she did the only thing she could. She took care of Jason; a seven-year-old who had arrived at camp the same year she had five years ago. Liana had only been nine years old then, but for whatever reason, the camp director, Mr. D, or Dionysus, the god of wine, saw fit to put her in charge of the two-year-old for the most part. She didn't mind of course, but she felt much too old for her nine years back then, and now that she was 14, she was somehow grateful that Dionysus had made her do this. Jason was so cute and energetic, but at the same time, he seemed very sad as though something or someone was missing from his life.

This of course was true. Jason was actually Zak's younger brother. Contrary to what everyone believed, Jason did not die. He had simply been taken to the camp early because even at two years old, he was very powerful. And for what ever reason, Lady Hera, wife of Zeus and queen of the Olympians, she saw fit for the toddler to become her champion and in order to do that, she felt he would be better prepared if he went to camp early. But, it didn't mean it was easy for him. Jason missed his older brother terribly. After all, Zachary had been the one who had raised him since their mother had done such a horrible job at taking care of both of them. So, as the younger son of Zeus cried on his older cousin's shoulder once again, several things happened at once.

The very person that the younger boy was missing had somehow come into view along with an older boy and a little girl. It was the middle of the night, but they somehow made it to the top of the hill, but before I go any further, let me back up and explain why they had moved on so quickly.

It was almost dawn, but it was still extremely dark outside. Zack hadn't been able to fall asleep after the dream he just had and Annabeth was still asleep in his lap. Man, that girl could sleep like the dead! Anyway, Luke was also awake and he looked upset as usual. Zack seemed to sense this, so he asked, "Luke, what is the matter with you? Don't you realize that every time you pick a fight with every monster you come across, you are not only slowing us down, but you are really starting to worry me? What is wrong with you? If you're still mad at your dad..."

"I am not mad at him!" Luke snapped.

Zack raised his eyebrows. "Sure you aren't," he muttered sarcastically, "and I'm the Queen of England. Look, I can understand why you're mad at him, but please don't take it out on the people who really care about you. Your mom may not be all there, but she does love you."

Luke frowned. "How would you know?" He asked. "You didn't exactly have the greatest mom."

"Look, that doesn't matter. My point is that no matter how crazy things get, you're still going to have people who love you, even if they aren't your blood family. This is our family right here. We may not be related by blood, but please try to remember that Annabeth and I do care about you. And although your dad may not always be here, he is always watching you, and he does love you. Whether you know it or not, he does." The son of Zeus was about to say something else, but a very deep growl that was very close by cut him off. Instead he said, "we need to get out of here, and fast! It's a hell hound, and I have a feeling that there are more of them around. Come on, let's go!" And without hesitation, Zack reached down and picked up the seven-year-old. He knew she could walk, but considering the dangers they were in right now, the 12-year-old thought it would be safer for her to be on his back for the time being. They must have been closer to camp than they thought because Luke and Grover could see a wooden archway with ancient Greek words spelling out the words Camp Half Blood and, yes, there was the girl from his demigod dream.

Zack's jaw dropped open in shock when he saw her. He thought that the teenager in front of him looked very elegant and beautiful with her silky black hair and sea green eyes; but stopping to stare was the worst mistake he ever made. Zack knew that there were hell hounds after them, but he had no idea that all three of the kindly ones had also been following them and finally caught up to them. "Cousin, watch out!" The teenager shouted. "Just keep running!"

But the 12-year-old could not. He knew he had to protect his friends, so he urged his older cousin to help him to fight off the monsters that overwhelmed them. The battle was horrible. Both children of the big three got scratched and clawed by the hell hounds and all three kindly ones. At their urging, Grover took Annabeth and Luke to the safety of camp; away from the fighting so that the daughter of Poseidon and the son of Zeus could finish their battle. But something was horribly wrong. The hell hounds were about to go after the daughter of Poseidon, but Zack jumped in front of her to protect her; getting the full brunt of the attack. The site was not pretty. At the top of the hill, bright red blood seeped into the ground as Zack was becoming weaker and weaker. Although she did not know her cousin, Liana did not want him to die, so she did the only thing she could. She ran forward and erected a huge wall of water; drowning the hell hounds and with her bracelet, which happened to be a sword, she dusted all three of the kindly ones. Making sure that Zack still had a pulse, which he did, she effortlessly lifted him up and carried him to the infirmary where an Apollo camper could check him out and make sure he was all right. She needed to stop there anyway because she needed a little bit of ambrosia and nectar to heal her wounds. That and she was very tired. Erecting the water wall had taken a lot out of her and she needed to rest after using so much power. Besides, the demigod she had helped reminded her a lot of Jason, except for the fact that he was older and more reserved.

The three new demigods did not awake until the next afternoon. The fight with the hell hounds and the kindly ones had taken a lot out of them, especially Zack. He had lost a lot of blood the night before, but thankfully he was still alive. Stiff and sore, but alive. He did not actually wake up until the energetic seven-year-old daughter of Athena practically jumped onto his chest. She was very excited for some reason and she seemed much better now that she had a good nights sleep in a real bed for once. But since the son of Zeus was still half asleep, he didn't quite understand what she was trying to tell him at first. "What? Bethy, get off of my chest please; I can't breathe." Annabeth flashed the son of Zeus an apologetic smile and quickly scrambled down to where she was sitting next to him, but not on top of his chest anymore. "Now kiddo, what were you asking me?" Zack gently teased; ruffling Annabeth's blond locks.

"What is that on the top of the hill?" She asked curiously. "It wasn't there last night."

Zack looked out the window to where the seven-year-old was pointing and gasped in astonishment. On the top of the hill where the battle with the hell hounds and the kindly ones had taken place, a great pine tree stood. It was tall and beautiful, but there was something else about it as well. It was almost as though it was shimmering with a magic that no one could really explain. But Annabeth was absolutely right. This particular pine tree had indeed not been there while the battle was taking place. Something must've happened to bring about the tree's existence. Maybe it had been a sacrifice of some kind? Zack wasn't really sure, but he was sure of one thing. Because of the battle and the sacrifice last night, he and the other demigods would be forever protected as long as the tree was alive. After a while, he hugged the younger girl and said gently, "Annabeth, I'm not really sure why the tree is here, but one thing is for sure. You and I and everyone else are safe as long as that tree stands. Monsters can not come in to harm you or anyone else." But what Zack was unaware of at the time was that the tree was not just a tree. His and Liana's battle and sacrifice created something, or rather someone. Someone that he would not meet for a very long time. That is, he thought not. However, since the tree had come into existence, Zack felt strangely connected to it and could not explain why. He even had very strange dreams at night; dreams that both disturbed him and made him feel better at the same time. And all the while, Zack kept on thinking, what am I going to do now?"


	4. What's Happenning to Me?

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Chapter 4:

What's Happening to Me?

It was a few days before Zack was able to get out of the infirmary. He was still a little weak due to the loss of blood, but other than that, he was fine. Correction; other than that and the confusion he felt, he was fine. The entire time he had been in the infirmary, the 12-year-old demigod son of Zeus had extremely strange dreams about the pine tree that had mysteriously appeared after his and Liana's battle. In order to better explain how confused he was feeling, perhaps I had better back up a few hours and show you exactly what he was dreaming about.

Zack was pretty much on the mend from all the monsters, but he was extremely tired, so Chiron had ordered him to stay in the infirmary until he was strong enough to participate in the training. Anyway, it was the middle of the night, and he was fast asleep, but at the same time Zack was also dreaming of something very strange yet familiar. At first, his vision was not very good as his dream was very dark. But as his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Zack realized by some unknown instinct that he was in what looked like a young child's nursery. And for some odd reason, the young demigod felt as though he belonged there or rather as though someone else had called him there because they needed him.

Even though this was a dream, Zack saw and felt himself walking across the room; approaching a sturdy, brown crib, where to his shock, a tiny infant laid cooing and gurgling while chewing on his or her tiny fists. Zack wasn't really sure why, but he felt a strong and powerful urge to pick up the infant and cradle him or her in his arms. So, without hesitating a second longer, that was exactly what he did. The 12-year-old could not really explain it, but when he was holding this infant, it somehow felt right to him and he also felt a powerful urge and instinct to protect the baby no matter what. Even more shocking was what the baby actually looked like.

When the baby had opened his or her big eyes, they were electric blue; same as Zack's, but then when he looked at them again, they were a sea green color, much like his older cousin's eyes were. For a long while, Zack could do nothing but stare open mouthed at the child he held in astonishment. "This child is... this tree is... oh my gods!" He thought to himself as the baby, his baby, tried and failed to grasp the preteen's finger. And as he began to wake up, Zack was thoroughly confused, and a little sad.

Now that he knew who was in the pine tree, the 12-year-old felt even more connected to it, but he was still very confused about it as well. He really needed to talk to his older cousin, but he wasn't sure if she would believe him or not. Logically, Zack knew that he couldn't really be a parent at his age because he had not done anything. However, another part of his brain; the irrational part was telling him that both he and Liana's need to protect each other had somehow created this child, their child. But because Zack was so young, he was very confused and understandably so. But at the same time, he wanted more than ever to go over to that pine tree and do something like read or sing to it. Also, why was he having these dreams in the first place? That's what confused him the most. It confused him because when he had held that baby in his dream, he felt nothing but pure love for them. In that moment, he felt much older even though he wasn't. He knew whose child it was, but Zack could not wrap his head around the fact that he was now going to be a parent in a few years, whether he wanted to or not.

It was now three days later, and the older son of Zeus finally saw his younger brother. When Jason saw him, he immediately jumped into his older brother's arms and hugged him fiersely. "Zacky I missed you!" Jason exclaimed as he hugged his older brother.

The 12-year-old gently ruffled his younger brother's hair. "I missed you too, squirt," he answered gently. "I am so glad you're alive! I was so angry when Mom told me you weren't, but it's okay now because I know now that she was lying."

So for the next few hours, all of the older demigods were doing some type of training. Some were on the climbing wall and some were doing archery. And as usual, the Apollo children were best at that. As for Zack and his brother, they were having a mini family reunion before one of the counselors was available to help the older son of Zeus get fitted for a weapon that would suit him. After that, everything seemed to be a blur. Zack and Jason sacrificed part of their meal to most of the gods and were the only two people at the Zeus table. It was a stupid rule, but everyone had to sit at their own tables with their cabin mates, which meant that Liana was the only one at the Poseidon table. All of the unclaimed children were in the Hermes cabin, so that particular table was always crowded. No one really knows why Liana had been claimed so early, but being that she was the first and only daughter of Poseidon, that could be part of it. As for the grace siblings, they had also been claimed early as young children, so it didn't really matter to them. But, Zack kind of felt sorry for his older cousin because she was the only one at her table, so it seemed pretty lonely for her. Sensing that her younger cousin was looking at her, Liana gave him a small smile to let him know that she understood what he had been thinking. "I'm all right," she mouthed. "But thanks for worrying about me."

"No problem," Zack mouthed back," by the way; I think you and I need to talk later on tonight. How about at the camp fire?" Liana did not answer, but she gave a nod of consent before returning to her food.

Later that night, at the camp fire, the daughter of Poseidon found her cousin sitting with his younger brother, so she sat with them. Sensing the confusion in her younger cousin's eyes, Liana smiled reassuringly and asked, "a penny for your thoughts?"

Zack sighed heavily and answered, "well, the thing is, I don't really know how to answer. I have had this recurring dream for about three days now and I am really confused about it. Do you remember when we had to fight off the hell hounds and the kindly ones a few nights ago? Do you remember what happened?"

Liana smiled and answered, "yeah; you jumped in front of me to protect me and you lost a lot of blood. I didn't want you to die, so I used my water powers and my sword to get rid of the rest of the monsters. Why?"

Zack bit his lip in thought before he answered, "well, when I was half asleep, one of the smaller half bloods, a daughter of Athena, Annabeth, she asked me what was on the top of the hill and when I looked, I was very surprised. Liana, the night that you and I had that battle, something happened. Your sacrifice, and my blood, well, it did something. We not only have a protective barrier; we also have something else. And the something else is what I was dreaming about for the passed three nights."

"What is it?" The daughter of Poseidon asked confusedly. "What are you trying to tell me, Zack?" So, feeling a little foolish, the older son of Zeus told the daughter of Poseidon everything; including the recurring dream about how he was holding an infant in his arms and how every time the infant saw him he or she was very happy. He also told her just how connected to the Pine tree he truly was. "I guess I'm trying to tell you that because of what it happened a few nights ago, you and I had sort of become, well, parents in a way. I know this is strange, and it's confusing for me as well, but I guess we will never know until the time is right." But his older cousin hadn't heard him. The telltale thump behind him was enough to show Zack that Liana had fainted from shock.

Later that night, when Zack was asleep in his cabin, he was once again in that very same dream that he had talked to his older cousin about. He was once again walking across the carpet toward the crib and picking up the infant. However, it was different this time. When the 12-year-old had picked up the baby, he realized right away that the little one was pretty hungry because as soon as Zack had picked him or her up, the baby immediately began to chew on his or her fists rapidly. "Oh kiddo, are you hungry? Awe, it's okay." Then without really realizing it, Zack was somehow holding a warm bottle in his hand and feeding it to the baby as if he had been a pro at it all his life. After that, the small infant snuggled down into the 12-year-old's shirt and fell asleep against his warm chest. So, the next morning, without being able to explain why, Zack went to the Pine tree and touched the trunk gently. When he did, he whispered gently, "I know I will meet you someday, my child. I love you and keep our camp safe; okay?"


	5. Another Child of the Sea

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that belongs to Rick Riordan. Everything you recognize and all characters belong to him.

Chapter 5:

Another Child of the Sea

As the days, weeks, months, and years went by, the eldest child of Zeus and the daughter of Poseidon became closer friends as time went on. Zack's younger brother Jason, became a little more serious and he was often frustrated and cranky. No one really knew why except for Zack. About two years after the older son of Zeus had arrived at camp, another demigod had come; a son of Hephaestus named Leo Valdez. But Leo wasn't really the reason for Jason's crankiness and frustration. The source of this frustration was the fact that he was almost a preteen and he hated being controlled by Hera. For once in his life, Jason wanted to be free to be able to shape and form his own path. He did not want to be a part of what was coming, but somehow he knew that he really didn't have a choice in the matter. His older brother tried to help a couple of times, but there was virtually nothing he could do for his younger brother; he could only be there for him.

During these two years, the tree that had been created by both Liana and Zack still stood tall and strong, which meant that the camp was still protected from monsters. Anyway, Leo had arrived at camp when he was about nine; almost exactly a year after his mom's death in the machine shop she worked in. Before coming to camp however, Leo had been on the run. He had been to many foster homes, but he did not fit in. He constantly joked around, but in reality, it was Leo's way of covering up just how hurt he was by others. It was also his way of covering up how guilty he felt for the fire that had killed his mom. It was the fire he had accidentally caused because he was one of the few children of Hephaestus that was born with the ability to control fire and use it. From that day onward, Leo thought of fire powers as a curse and refused to use them for anything. But it wasn't until he had come to the camp that he found people who would love him no matter what. It was actually Zack who had talked to Leo and made him realize that not everything was as bad as it seemed.

In fact, he had done so just after he had finished sparring with his cousin Liana. Zack was just approaching the tree that guarded the camp when he heard someone crying beneath it. Being a teenager, Zack wanted to walk away, but something about the sound of the crying tugged at his heartstrings, so he approached cautiously. He had learned to do so over the years because there were many younger children, and some of them were quite skittish. When he got closer, Zack realized that a Latino boy of around nine years old was sitting beneath the tree; crying his eyes out. Zack knew he was a new camper, because he had only arrived a few days ago and was very nervous at first. Making sure that he would not step on the younger boy, Zack slowly lowered himself to the grass so that he was sitting beside the younger boy. Zack wasn't sure what he could say to comfort him just yet, so he just sat there; allowing Leo to grieve. "Leo," he said gently, "you do understand that what happened to your mom last year wasn't your fault; right? The fire was not your fault. You should never blame yourself for something you can't control. You said it the other night. If it was anyone's fault; it was the Earth mother's fault; not yours."

And without any warning whatsoever, the older demigod found himself with an armful of a curly haired boy sobbing his heart out. So for the next hour or so, the 14-year-old son of Zeus did nothing but sit with the younger boy. Although there was absolutely nothing else he could say, Zack just hugged him, which seemed to do the trick. If anything, the older son of Zeus understood completely how Leo was feeling. He and Jason had felt unwanted by their family for a long time before they had been brought to camp. No, the life of a demigod was always a hard one, and no one could change it. The two of them sat there for a little while longer; just enjoying the warmth of the sun. However, when they had stood up and gone back to their cabins, they hadn't noticed that a tiny foot had momentarily poked out from the roots of the pine tree.

Since the older son of Zeus was having these strange dreams every night, he decided to talk to the wise old centaur about it. He knew of course that the barrier had been created and the reasons why. What he was having trouble with however, was the fact that he felt so strongly connected to the pine tree. But all that Chiron had told Zack was that he would find out when the time was right. So, for the next couple of years, Zack did everything he could to keep the camp together. Ever since Luke had gotten that Qwest and that scar on the right side of his face, Zack had noticed subtle changes in his older friend. On the outside, Luke was just as friendly as ever, but on the inside, he was angry and bitter. And also, Zack realized; Luke was maybe a little scared or even terrified of what his path really meant for him. Now that he was the counselor for the Hermes cabin, Luke had to maintain a friendly persona so that he didn't accidentally scare some of the younger kids.

Also for these next two years, Zack had to make sure that the young daughter of Athena, Annabeth, would not interrogate every single new camper that came through. Apparently, after Luke's failed quest, Chiron had not allowed any more quests until someone else came along. So, in order to keep her from interrogating the new campers, Zack usually took care of them himself unless the wounds were too deep for him to heal. For that, he would always get an Apollo camper to help him out for a while until the new camper felt better. However, this wasn't the case when a 12-year-old demigod had arrived unconscious. Zack was 16 now and since Chiron had been absent from the camp before the 12-year-old's arrival, it could only mean one thing. This particular child was unusually powerful, but didn't know it yet. Anyway, as I was saying, Zack could not keep Annabeth from interrogating everyone and the 12-year-old new camper was precisely the camper that she had tried it on. For some odd reason, she was selected to be the one to care for him while he was unconscious and it was pretty clear that he was extremely confused and sad. He didn't know where he was and he had recently lost his mom to the Minotaur, or he thought so anyway.

However, it was shortly after the 12-year-old demigod had woken up that Zack gently but firmly asked Annabeth to leave the poor boy alone because he needed his rest. Annabeth was disappointed, but she would always listen to Zack. For whatever reason, there was something about him that even made the 12-year-old daughter of Athena back down. No one really knew what it was, but everyone knew and understood that if Zack told someone to do or not do something, his tone made it clear that his word was final at that point. However, no one minded this in the slightest because although his dad was the almighty King of the Olympians, and a huge baby about it, his oldest son was extremely fair-minded and was willing to listen to both sides of a story or argument before drawing a final conclusion. So, after he gently shooed the young daughter of Athena out of the sick room, Zack finished the task of spoon feeding the rest of the ambrosia into the younger boy's mouth as he was still half asleep and couldn't really do it himself at the present time. After a while he stopped, because he noticed that the younger boy was starting to look flushed and his eyes were glazed over. However, the younger boy blinked his eyes open and looked up at Zack with an expression of confusion and sadness on his face. "Where am I?" He croaked.

After giving the younger boy some water, Zack answered gently, "relax kid. You've been in the infirmary for a few days. What's your name?"

The younger boy bit his lip as he answered shakily, "Percy, Percy Jackson."


	6. Bonding

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that belongs to Rick Riordan. Author's note: I am so sorry it took me so long; I had a lot of writer's block. Anyway, on with the story.

Chapter 6:

Bonding

When Percy had come around for good, it was obvious to the demigod son of Zeus that something was really bothering the preteen. "If I were in his shoes right now," Zack thought to himself," I would be more than a little confused myself; maybe a little out of sorts as well." However, Zack was not going to push the younger boy to tell him anything unless he really wanted to. So, instead, Zack took over Annabeth's duty of taking care of the new camper and making sure that his memory was still in tact despite the attack he had gone through; not to mention a very real trauma as well. Anyway, as Percy had come around for good, he realized that he was outside on a huge wraparound porch. He was covered up with a blanket and every one of his teeth were hurting him from when the Minotaur slammed into the pine tree. A satyr named Grover was standing near him; warning him not to drink too much of what everyone called nectar. The real fun began when Grover had taken Percy to the other side of the porch to meet with the director and Chiron.

Percy had gotten a little more confused by Chiron's explanation of who he was, which was understandable given that Chiron had posed as a disabled teacher in his school for most of the year. Mr. D, the camp director, looked rather unsettled and grumpy as usual, but Percy didn't know that. Like any new camper, Percy thought that the camp director was being a rather big baby about the fact that he was not allowed to drink any wine or any kind of alcohol while he was grounded for a century by his father, Zeus. That story was rather funny, but still Percy was rather mixed up and confused. What he also did not know was that the demigod son of Zeus, Zack, was sort of around the corner, listening to the entire conversation. In a way that was good, because Chiron, without really meaning to, made the 12-year-old demigod even more upset and sad when he mentioned his mother. So, it was then that the teenager decided to intervene as gently and firmly as he could as he was the head counselor of the entire camp population. For this reason and many others, Zack tried his best to make sure that everyone was comfortable and safe. I guess I forgot to mention this, but while he was on the run, Zack had some help from the Lady Hestia and he now had her blessing, which allowed him to help people more easily and take care of them.

As Zack stepped forward and caught sight of the tears threatening to fall down the younger demigod's cheeks, he said gently but firmly, "Chiron, Mr. D, don't you think that was a little harsh on your part?" To Percy he said gently, "come on, kid, they didn't mean it the way you thought they did. All that my older half-brother and Chiron meant was that if you became a full-fledged god, an immortal being, others may not believe in you, just like many mortals do not believe that the Olympian gods exist even now. Does that make more sense to you?" Percy could not speak, but he nodded his head to show the older demigod that he understood the explanation much better. "By the way," Zack added; "I'm Zack. I am the one who nursed you back to health for the most part." Then he beckoned for the younger daughter of Athena to come forward. "And this little goofball over here is Annabeth Chase. She started to nurse you back to health, but I made her leave because she was trying to interrogate you about something that you neither knew about nor seen in your entire life."

Then Annabeth pouted cutely. "Yeah, that was mean," she teased the teenager. "I wanted answers."

Zack sighed heavily and ruffled Annabeth's hair affectionately and teased back, "I know you do, Annie, but sometimes you just aren't going to get what you want."

Annabeth pouted some more before saying, "don't call me that!" Turning to Percy, she said, "by the way, you drool in your sleep." And then she ran off before Zack or anyone else could stop her.

So, after a rather daunting and confusing day, the 12-year-old demigod found himself walking around the camp with Zack. Percy really didn't know why, but he felt drawn to the older demigod somehow; almost as if something about him somehow had a way of making Percy's problems melt away or at the very least, easier to talk about. This was strange because Percy normally didn't talk about a lot of things that bothered him. This was mainly because of his disgusting stepfather, Gabe, the man whom his mother had married in order to protect him. However, for many years, it seemed as though it was the other way around. Gabe was not only disgusting, he was abusive as well. On top of that, he drank beer constantly and was a slob. But now that Percy was at camp and walking around with a potential friend, Percy felt safer than he had ever felt in a long time. But, he still missed his mother terribly, which was probably the reason why he stuck with the older demigod, especially as he was so new to the demigod lifestyle. Percy had still not been claimed, so he was stuck in the Hermes cabin for a little while. This was rather uncomfortable as all of the Hermes children plus the unclaimed were in that cabin, which made it very difficult to do anything let alone sleep. Luke was nice enough though, even if the scar on his face made him a little freaky to look at.

Anyway, as the two demigods walked around camp, they began to talk about ordinary things while discussing the pros and cons between the different gods and goddesses in Greek mythology. It was evening now, and although it was warm, Percy noticed a huge brazier in the middle of camp along with a little girl who was poking at the flames with a stick. Zack noticed her as well and smiled. As the two demigods approached, the little girl looked up and smiled at them. And when Percy got a closer look at her, he noticed that her eyes were a soft red; the same color as the flames she was tending in the brazier. He had been about to say something, but Zack beat him to it. "Hello, my Lady Hestia," he said respectfully. "I didn't expect to see you here, but as long as you are here, I would like to thank you for giving me your blessing when I was on the run. For that, I am grateful. May we sit down?"

Hestia smiled warmly and replied, "anyone who needs a safe place is welcome at my hearth. Yes, please do sit down. You two boys have been the first demigods to not only notice me but talk to me. And Zack," Hestia said gently, "you have done me a great service."

The teenager looked confused and asked, "I'm sorry, but I really don't understand. How did I do that?"

The goddess chuckled lightly and answered, "by taking such great care of those around you, especially those who need it most, you have used my blessing in the way it was meant to be used. By taking young Percy Jackson under your wing when he was most vulnerable is a good example. Now, before you leave, I want you to do something else. I know it may be hard, but you have to be the one to tell him."

Percy looked confused and asked, "tell me what? What's going on?"

Zack sighed heavily and answered, "what Lady Hestia means is that there is something I should tell you, and it kind of concerns you and Luke. I don't say this to scare you, but I just want to prepare you for what may or may not happen this summer. Also, there is something I want to show you, and it concerns the barrier surrounding camp." And then without another word, the teenager and the preteen walked over to where the pine tree was standing and Zack gently rested his hand on its trunk as if to calm it. It was strange, and Percy didn't know why, but he somehow felt a strange pulsing from the tree as if something or someone else was within its essence. He somehow felt a strange connection with it, although the connection wasn't as strong for him as it was for the older demigod. "This tree was created five years ago and with it, the barrier that protects us all. However, neither I nor anyone else understands the strange sacrifice that had created it just yet. The only person who might know is not saying anything about it just yet. However, you will meet her very soon."

"Who is she?" Percy asked curiously.

"Her name is Leigh Anna; only known daughter of Poseidon. It is very strange, but you look a lot like her somehow." Then the two of them walked back into camp; their hearts lighter than they had been moments before. And for the rest of that night, the older demigod worried over what was going to happen now that Percy Jackson had arrived. He still dreamed of the small child who was still an infant and needed to be cared for. But little did Zack realize just how accurate his words truly were about Percy looking like Liana. He also had the strangest feeling that something was terribly wrong, and it had something to do with a certain son of Hermes.

I thought I would give my original character the blessing of Hestia because I thought it would help explain his personality a little more clearly. Also, I thought it would be cool and a more interesting twist to this story.


End file.
